Electrical shocking devices known in the art have generally been in the form of a cattle prod, policeman's billy club, electrified spear; or more recently, an electrified projectile such as a small dart, adapted to be propelled to a target while connected to its remote high voltage powering source by means of a fine wire that is uncoiled as the dart is propelled.
The electrified cattle prod, billy club, or spear types of such weapons are not easily carried in the pocket or purse and are therefore not a convenient weapon that might be used for self-protection by persons while engaged in normal day-to-day activities. The electrically charged propellable dart devices, on the other hand, are altogether too complex and too expensive for such ordinary defensive uses, and additionally, suffer from the disadvantage that in the event the projectile misses its target, the weapon is rendered useless unless the weapon is capable of launching multiple projectiles. Furthermore, such projectile ejecting weapons require a degree of skill on the part of the user in the aiming and firing of the dart or darts.